Steny Hoyer Inadvertently Created the Best Metaphor for This Congress

A broken To Do list says more than a functional one.

The House's No. 2 Democrat, Steny Hoyer, sent out an inadvertent metaphor for this Congress in an email to reporters Tuesday. The email, titled "113th Congress' To-Do List," was meant to rib Republicans for failing to bring up major bills as the legislative year winds down.

"House Republicans have a choice: They can work with us to get things done and start checking off the tasks on Congress' to-do list, or they can ignore the American people and veer even further to the right. Here's a reminder of what needs to be done."

There was just one problem: The list was blank.

(Email Screengrab)

Hoyer's office said that the photo issue was unintentional, and that the email appeared in full for other recipients. But it's perhaps a more realistic view of what Congress is likely to get done this year with members distracted by a leadership race in the House, the Fourth of July holiday, a five-week recess beginning in August, and a contentious midterm election in November.

Hoyer's office provided another copy of the list, which includes some major pieces of legislation that Democrats have pushed for, including an extension of unemployment-insurance benefits and renewing some tax provisions, both of which expired in December. The list also includes reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, something conservatives have railed against, and refilling the Highway Trust Fund, which is expected to go broke at the end of next month.

This story has been updated.